Questions-1st HAL cruise-Princess regular

[longduo]

We are sailing on the Veendam on Feb. 25 with a group of friends. This will be our first HAL cruise; we have done 11 cruises on Princess. What differences should we expect? Any advise would be appreciated from you HAL regulars.

 

How does the food compare?

 

Are cappuchinos free in the dining room or somewhere else?

 

Will the dress be more formal or about the same?

 

Is there dance music every evening?

 

Thanks in advance for your help. We're looking forward to trying something new.

 

Longduo

[DesertDiva]

I cruised on the HAL Oosterdam over New Year's.

 

1. I've cruised on Princess (Diamond Princess) and think the food is better on HAL. The buffet has more choices and is delicious. The Pinnacle Grill is outstanding.

 

2. Cappuccino is free in the dining room.

 

3. About the same.

 

4. Dance music every evening is available. However I did feel that was better on Princess.

 

After cruising on Princess, Carnival, and HAL I prefer HAL!

 

We are sailing on the Veendam on Feb. 25 with a group of friends. This will be our first HAL cruise; we have done 11 cruises on Princess. What differences should we expect? Any advise would be appreciated from you HAL regulars.

 

How does the food compare?

 

Are cappuchinos free in the dining room or somewhere else?

 

Will the dress be more formal or about the same?

 

Is there dance music every evening?

 

Thanks in advance for your help. We're looking forward to trying something new.

 

Longduo

[arzz]

I have cruised both lines and I feel that HAL has a more elegant, traditional feel. The HAL ships themselves are smaller and MUCH less crowded. Princess does a fairly good job keeping the "small ship" feeling by using lots of smaller spaces for a whole lot of people, but in the end, there are many more folks aboard a Princess ship than an HAL ship.

 

I really appreciate the traditional dining times on HAL. Our "anytime" dining on Princess often cheated us out of a show or some other evening venue since we were most often given a beeper and told to wait for an available dining spot. I also appreciate seeing some of the same people over and over again. The Princess ships are just too big for that. Not only are the HAL ships smaller with fewer people, but you see the same set of folks each night at dinner. Most of the time we have had delightful dinner partners.

 

And, I think you will enjoy the size and storage available in the HAL cabins as well as the relative "luxury" of an HAL bathroom.

 

I found the food on both ships to be relatively comparable (though this is subjective). The HAL Lido buffet, however, wins hands down over Princess. Fresher food choices -- more food choices, and better food.

 

In my experience on HAL the dance music is not only subjective, but depends on the luck of the draw. I have cruised with fantastic dance bands, and I have cruised with the barely mediocre. I think that the bands you get on board are sort of like the Upgrade Fairy -- or like going to the casino -- you never know what you will get or when you will hit the jackpot.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Music on HAL. We have had some good groups and some bad groups. Some play music that you can dance by, others just play and sing as loud as they can. It really depends on who the group is and they do change often on the ships.

[longduo]

Desert Diva, ARZZ, and Krazy Kruisers, thanks for the help!

 

I'm assuming that HAL has lounge hogs by the pool as the other linrs we've sailed.

 

You have made me look forward to the Veendam more than ever.

 

Longduo

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes there will be some pool lounge chair hogs.

[irislady]

I've taken 3 Princess cruises and one HAL (on the Rotterdam), also one on Carnival. DH and I loved the size of the Rotterdam, but missed having a balcony cabin since there were none available when we booked. Our 12 day Rotterdam sailing was wonderful. Because it was a smaller ship and the big shows were pretty awful on the Rotterdam we did a lot of the activities put on by the entertainment staff. It was a great way to get to know the staff pretty well, and we also got to know a good number of our fellow cruisers.

 

DH and I traveled with my sister and B-I-L. I was the only one disappointed with HAL's food. I like plain dishes, and some nights had trouble finding things that appealed to me. I like having a simple "always available" selection available. Several times I did get beef with no gravies or sauces, but found those dishes weren't nearly as good as either Princess's or even Carnivals. HAL did have excellent desserts, though. We all preferred the pizza on Carnival and Princess, but that was a minor thing. DH gave the nod to HAL's coffee.

 

I liked having the shower in the bathtub on Rotterdam instead of the tiny stall showers.

 

I'm sure you'll have a great time on HAL! Bon voyage.

Shae